Ham packaging bag



Jan. 2, 1951 Filed NOV. 3, 1947 J. A. BAKER ETAL HAN PACKAGING BAG 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTORS aaijakm/ adjmw WK 4p Jan. 2, 1951 Y J. A. BAKER EI'AL 2,536,834

' HAI PACKAGING BAG 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Nov. 3, 1947 IN V EN TORS wot/ Patented Jan. 2, 1951 UNITED "STATES PATENT, orrlca HAM PACKAGING BAG James A. Baker, Milwaukee, Wis., and Frank A. Hunter, Jr., Clayton, Mo.

Application November 3, 1947, Serial No. 783,812

' 3 Claims. 1

Our invention relates generally to improvements in the art of wrapping or packing relatively irregular shaped articles, and relates more specifically to improvements in packages for hams or the like, and to improved bag-like receptacles specially formed for concealing the hams therein.

Heretofore, it has. been customary to pack hams of approximately frustro-conical shape in rectangular wrappers embodying one or more layers of suitable sheet material such as paper, of suiilcient size to permit the wrappers to be folded about the articles and to be glued, tied or otherwise fastened so as to maintain the wra per sheets in place. Because of the relatively irregular shapes and diverse sizes of the hams, this prior mode of packaging was not only tedious and slow but it also resulted in excessive use and waste of wrapper stock and in the final production of enclosures which did not adequately protect the hams. Then too, the packages produced by the prior methods were not attractive since it was im ossible to neatly position advertising and identifying indicia applied protectively enclosed, but which may be readily hung for display purposes.

An additional object of the invention is to provide a ham wrapper which may be attractages of the invention willbe apparent from the cut invention to provide an improved ham package or the like, and an improved ba -like receptacle for hams, wherein and whereby all of the above 'objections and difllcultis are eliminated.

Another important object of this invention is to provide an improved wrapper for hams and similar articles, which may be readily produced at moderate cost, and quickly applied to hams of diversesizes and shapes, to produce efi'ective enclosures and highly attractive packages.

A further important object of the present invention is to provide an improved mode of facilitating the packaging of hams or the like, in substantially sealed containers and with minimum effort and waste of wrapper stock.

Still another important object of our invention is to provide a ham packaging system the successive steps of which may be carried on in rapid succession by a novice, to produce successive packages in which the articles are not only is following detailed description.

A clear conception of the construction of apackages, may be had by referring to the drawings accompanying and forming a part of this specification wherein like reference characters designate the same or similarparts in the various views.

Fig. 1 ma plan view of a fragment of three ply wrapper stock, showing the mode of producing a succession of the improved wrappers from continuous bands or ribbons of stock and with minimum waste;

Fig. 2 is a somewhat enlarged plan view of one of the improved bag-like wrappers, with portions broken away so as to reveal internal structure;

Fig. 3 is a further enlarged transverse section through the assembled wrapper of Fig. 2, taken along the line 3-3; v

Fig. d is a 'plan view similar to that of Fig. 2, but showing a slightly modified wrapper embodying features of our invention;

Fig. 5 'isan enlarged perspective view depicting the first step involved in sealing one of the wrappers after a ham has been introduced therein;

Fig. 6 is a similarly enlarged perspective view illustrating the second sealing step involved in the application of the improved wrapper to a ham; and

Fig. 7 is a likewise enlarged perspective view of one of the final improved ham packages.

While the invention has been shown and described herein as being advantageously applicable for the specific purpose of packing smoked hams which have not been de-boned, it is not our desire or intention to unnecessarily restrict the scope or the util ty of the improved features.

\ by virtue of this limited disclosure.

Referring to the drawings, the improved wrapper blanks employed in our present package, are preferably formed by superimposing three ribbons or continuous bands of suitable composite ribbon may be severed along lines I 2 and lightly scored along central lines I: so as to produce successive identical wrapper blanks.

of these three-ply blanks may also be spot glued or otherwise united at local areas I! so as to maintain the blanks initially assembled for handling. After the blanks have been thus initially cut, scored and united, they may be folded along the central score lines, and two .edge portions l5, IQ of each blank may be hingedly united as by the application of hinge strips I! attached thereto by stitching l8 or otherwise, to produce completed substantially tr. angular or trapezoidal three-ply wrappers I! such as illustrated in Figs.

,The outer stock sheets ll of the successive wrappers may be provided with printed matter preferably but not necessarily disposed symmetrical withrespect to the central fold lines ll thereof, either before or after the stock ribbon is cut into successive blanks; and each sheet is also preferably provided at the corner thereof near the intersection of its edge portions 15, I6. with hanger spots 2 I, as depicted in Figs. 1 and 2. The final bag-l'ke wrappers l9 have relatively inclined opposite sides diverging or, spreading The superimposed sheets of stock 9, I0, I I of each storage, and the successive trapezoidal may be quickly and conveniently applied to indlvidual approximately frustro-conical hams in the following manner. Each wrapper I! may helm-4 tially distended to spread the mouth opening thereof into approximately circular form, whereupon the ham may be inserted within the receptacle until the smaller end or shank of the article contacts the bag bottom and the medial portions of the inner wrapper sheet I rather snugly embrace the wider upper portions of the ham. The packer should then position the wrapper l! with the ham initially inserted therein with the bag mouth directed away from his or her body, and should apply both hands I as illustrated in Fig. 5, to press the flaps 23 into away from the sealed bottom portions l5 there mately disposed as indicated in Fig. 2. The threeply bag wrappers I9 thus formed are flexible and freely distendable to provide an extensive mouth or commodity supply and removal opening, and the local attachment areas I! obviously facilitate spreading of the flaps 23 in order to open the bag. While the improved wrapper IQ of Figs. 1 to 3 inclusive has its bottom and s'de edge portions I 5, IG hingedly united by means of two separate hinge strips 11, and is provided with sharp cornered flaps 23, such specific construction is not essential. The bag-l ke wrapper l9 shown in Fig. 4 is substantially like that of Figs. 2 and 3, except that the bottom and side portions I5, I thereofare provided with a single continuous hinge strip [1' secured to these edges by st'tching l8 or otherwise to produce a rounded corner portion adjacent to the hanger spots 2|. This modification may facilitate formation of the hinge connections at the bottom and one side of the bag, but it is to be understood ,that these hinges may be otherwise produced. The modifled wrapper I9 is also provided with closure flaps 23' for effecting final tight closing and sealing of the bags, and in both cases, the wrappers l9, I! may be furnished in several sizes each of which is adapted to accommodate a definite range of ham sizes.

After the improved bag-like wrappers have been produced and completed as above described, they may be compactly stacked for shipment or firm contact with the larger end of the tapered article while the ham shank is still in snug engagement with the bottom of the receptacle. At this stage of the packing procedure, theham will be snugly embraced on all sides and at both ends, by the grease resistant inner sheet 0, and the hinge strip I1 will extend longitudinally-along the top of the partially closed package.

The next step of the packing procedure, is to fold the excess stock at the mouth of the wrapper (8, over upon itself and over the outer extremity of the hinge strip H as depicted'in Fig. 6; preferably maklng a double fold in order'to insure tight sealing. When the excess end stock of the wrapper has been thus folded, the'folds may be permanently united in any suitable manner as by sewing or by applying a'row of staples 25 shown in Fig. 7. The final packages thus produced are tightly sealed and snugly confine the bums. with minimum play and confinedv air, and these packages may be readily suspended from hooks by merely causing the'hook points to penetrate the corner spots 2| near reenforced corner portions of the envelopes. It is to be noted, that by folding the flaps 23 and the excess stock of each wrapper IS, in the manner described, the external indicia such as printed matter 20 applied directly to the outer sheet U, will always be accurately centralized and properly disposed with respect to the concealed article, thereby providing a flnal ham package which is highly attractive and aesthetic in appearance as indicated by Fig. 7.

From the foregoing detailed description it should be apparent that our present invention in fact provides an improved package for articles such as tapered hams, and improved procedure for producing and applying wrappers to such articles, which besides resulting in the production of neat and effectively sealed packages, also facilitates the packing operation and avoids waste of wrapper stock. The successive wrapper blanks may be rapidly produced from constantly advancing stock ribbons or bands in the manner depicted in Fig. 1, and these stock ribbons need only be varied in width in order to effect production of wrappers IQ of diverse sizes. -The number of piles and the characteristics of the material utilized in the individual wrappers maybe varied to suit diverse requirements, and the coloring and printing of the outer sheets Il may be likewise varied. By applying such indicia directly to' the outer wrapper sheets i I, the use of special tabs or labels is eliminated, and the improved mode of folding and of assembling the wrappers]! insures proper disposition of the indicia upon the final packages.

It is also noteworthy that the approximately trapezoidal shape of the blanks results in the production of a tapered bag which is adapted to snugly confine the frustro-conical objects, and the provision of the flaps 23 adjacent to the mouth or open end of each bag-like wrapper enables the packer to conveniently fold and fasten the excess wrapper stock so as to produce tight seals. This sealing is enhanced by folding the outer end of the hinge strip I1 inwardly in the manner shown and described; and while the use of separate hinge strips 11 somewhat reenforces and strengthens the wrappers, such use is not essential. These hinge strips I1, l1 may either be sectional as in Fig. 2 or continuous as in Fig. 4, and by forming the outer sheet II of tenacious material a strong but flexible bag results which is capable of readily conforming itself to irregularities of the hams. The present improvements have gone into highly successful and satisfactory use, and the improved wrappers may be produced in quantity at moderate cost, and may be quickly applied to the successive articles by a novice to provide final packages in which the commodity is well protected and which possess great sales appeal.

It should be understood that it is not desired to limit the present invention to the precise mode of constructing the wrappers and of producing the final packages, herein shown and described, for various modifications within the scope of the appended claims may occur to persons skilled in the art; and it is also contemplated that specific descriptive terms used herein be given the broadest possible interpretation consistent with the disclosure.

We claim:

1. A tapered ham packing bag comprising, a three-ply approximately trapezoidal wrapper blank having the corners of the base of the trapezoid removed and being formed of an inner ply of grease-proof stock and an intermediate ply of moisture absorbent stock and an outer ply of tenacious stock superimposed upon each other and folded medially to produce a smaller approximately trapezoidal assemblage having registering edges remote from the fold line, and a continuous more tenacious hinge strip secured to the shortest and longest of said registering edges to form a fiat bag having a narrow closed bottom and opposite closed sides diverging away from said bottom towarda wider access opening remote from said bottom, the walls of the bag at said opening having thereon integral medial closure flaps formed by the removed trapezoid corners and projecting outwardly beyond the adjacent ends of said sides.

2. A tapered ham packing bag comprising, a three-ply approximately trapezoidal wrapper blank having the opposite ends of the base of the trapezoid removed and being formed of an inner ply of grease-proof stock and an intermediate ply of moisture absorbent stock and an outer ply of relatively tenacious stock superimposed upon each other and folded medially of the base to produce a smaller approximately trapezoidal assemblage having registering edges remote from the fold line and other transverse registering edges connecting said remote edges with the fold line, and a tough hinge strip secured to said remote registering edges and to the shorter of said transverse registering edges to form a fiat bag having a narrow closed bottom and opposite closed sides diverging away from said bottom toward a wider access opening remote from the bottom. the walls of the bag at said opening having thereon integral medial closure flaps formed by the removal of said opposite ends of the base of the trapezoidal blank and extending outwardly be yond the adjacent ends of said bag sides.

3. A tapered ham packing bag comprising, a three-play approximately trapezoidal wrapper blank having the acute angled corners of the trapezoid base removed and being formed of an inner ply of grease-proof stock and an intermediate ply of moisture absorbent stock and an outer ply of relatively tenacious stock superimposed upon each other, said blank being folded transversely of said base to produce a smaller ap proximately trapezoidal assemblage having registering edges remote from the fold line and other short and longer registering edges connecting said remote edges with the fold line, and a hinge strip secured to said remote and short registering edges to form a fiat bag having'a narrow closed bottom and longer opposite closed sides diverging away from said bottom and terminating at a relatively wide access opening remote from the bottom, the walls of the bag at said opening having thereon medial closure flaps formed by the removal of said corners of the base of the trapezoidal blank and extending outwardly beyond the adjacent ends of said bag sides.

JAMES A. BAKER. FRANK A. HUNTER, JR.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,195,176 Benn Aug. 22, 1916 1,732,680 Hanlon Oct. 22, 1929 2,234,794 Arzet et al Mar. 11, 1941 2,432,968 Lahey Dec. 16, 947 

